A Cop's Heart
by Traw
Summary: Sometimes a case tears at a cop's heart. For Danny and Steve, this case was one of those cases... but for very different reasons...
1. Chapter 1

AN- Co- written with the talented Jenthetrulysly.

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Prologue

Sitting like a sentinel in the dimly lit hospital room, Steve McGarrett watched the motionless figure on the bed. Despite doctor's reassurances that Danny was on the road to a full recovery and that the prolonged state of unconsciousness was due to his depleted condition from the shock, extreme blood loss and septicemia that had set in, they had almost lost Danny several times in the last two days. He had relived the moment when his partner had been stabbed in front of him over and over again in his dreams, and each time he had been completely powerless to stop it from happening. The sense of coldness that had spread out to all of his limbs became an overwhelming numbness as he looked at Danny's deceptively peaceful face.

Steve forced himself to admit that if Danny hadn't received help when he did then there was a very real possibility that he would have died. The knife had been plunged into Danny's side right to the hilt before it was twisted, tearing into his partner's kidney and bowels. Only the quick response of the ambulance and the incredible skill of the medical staff had saved his best friend's life. Even when Danny's heart had stopped on the operating table, they had not given up on him, had not allowed him to stop fighting. The soft whispers Steve had overheard of the nurses' conversations told him just how hard the doctors had worked to keep Danny alive in O.R and he had witnessed, himself, the medical staff's refusal to surrender when Danny's heart had stopped in the ICU.

Exhaling a shuddering breath, he leaned over to grasp Danny's limp hand in his, feeling for a pulse. It was sluggish and weak, but the main thing was that it was still there. Danny was still not out of the woods yet, but Steve promised himself that he would be there for Danny when he opened his eyes and came back into the realm of the living. Until then, the Navy SEAL would remain by his side.

Rubbing a hand tiredly over his face, he was surprised to find it trembling, as the memory of what had happened two days…or was it three days ago, washed over him like a tsunami to leave him shaking in a cold sheen of sweat as the images slammed into his mind like the wild waves of Waimea Bay.


	2. Chapter 2

4 Days Earlier- 

Danny Williams had to mentally push aside the tumultuous emotions as he stared down at the body lying abandoned in the long grass by the roadside. It was hard to discover that the tiny boy they had searched so desperately for had been so callously tossed aside like a piece of unwanted garbage.

"He looks like he's sleeping, doesn't he?" The soft breathed observation close beside him startled the Five 0 detective and he turned to find Chin standing beside him. Placing a hand lightly on Danny's shoulder, Chin gave it a small comforting squeeze, as he added softly, "Kono and HPD are searching the area for any witnesses or clues but so far nothing. I am going to check if any of the airport's security guys saw anything suspicious in this area this afternoon. "

Danny nodded silently as he watched Chin turn and walk away before he turned back towards the small body lying in the grass. The sight of the motionless baby was breaking his heart. Even after six hours of searching a small shimmer of hope had still stayed alight that they would find the young boy alive but that hope had been extinguished when the first reports had floated over the police radio that a small body had been found. He shook his head, unable to imagine how any parent would ever be able cope with the news that this young boy's parents were about to receive. He knew if something ever happened to Grace, his world would cease to exist, he was certain he would be unable to go on…

Forcing himself to remain professional and not allow his emotions to rule, Danny knelt down and looked across at the Medical Examiner who was carrying out his initial examination of the body, clearing his throat quietly before he asked. "Well, Max?"

"No signs of any trauma or injury." Max answered as he glanced up at the police photographer and asked, "Can I roll him over?" At the photographer's silent nod, Max gently rolled the small body over, his hand expertly gliding over the young boy's head, body and limbs, feeling for any abnormality as Danny carefully held the body in place. Shaking his head, he helped Danny reposition the body onto its back before they rose to their feet.

"Well, Max?" Danny asked again.

"There are no visible signs of injury that I can see at the moment to indicate the cause of death."

"What about time of death?" Danny demanded impatiently.

Startled at the tone of Danny's voice, Max blinked before he quickly continued, "Oh, I'm am sorry, Detective Williams, death occurred two to four hours ago but I will be able to be more precise after I have done the autopsy."

"I'm sorry, Max." Danny apologized distractedly as he turned and watched Steve's truck skidded to a halt in a shower of dust and stones.

Stepping out of the still rocking truck, Steve McGarrett hurried across to where his partner was waiting, casting a quick glance at the small sheet covered shape on the stretcher as it was loaded into the back of coroner's van.

"Is it him?" He asked softly as he studied the too pale face of his partner and closest friend.

Danny nodded; swallowing down the lump that was forming in his throat, "It's him, but we will need the parents to make a formal identification." Danny paused and looked towards the road as he drew a deep breath and continued. "There was a road crew picking up litter along the edge of the road and one of the road crew members stumbled across the body about an hour ago. He first thought was a just a discarded child's doll lying in long grass." When he realized it was a child's body he rang HPD. The body is fully clothed and there are no visible signs of injury."

The NAVY Seal frowned, "No signs of injuries?"

"No contusions or abrasions that we could see. He looked like he was sleeping…" Danny's voice trailed off before he shook his head and forced himself to continue, "Max says death occurred between two to four hours ago. He will be able to tell us more once he does the autopsy. HPD are searching the area for any clues but so far nothing, Steve. It looks like he was killed somewhere else and possibly just dumped here. Charlie and the lab guys are taking casts of several tire tracks they found near the scene."

"I don't think the tire track casts are going to help us any." Steve commented as he looked towards the forensic team pouring the plaster into the tire impressions near the chain link fence that located on the other side of the taped off crime scene. "Lots of people park along the edge of the road to watch planes arrive and take off from the airport. It's been so dry, it's going to be hard to tell which tracks are fresh and which aren't."

"Maybe we'll get lucky." Danny sighed as he ran his hand through his hair and turned to watch as the coroner van drove away.

"I'm going to inform the parents and then head over to the Governor's office and update him on the case." Steve told his partner as they started to walk slowly back towards their cars.

"Want me to come?" Danny asked, hoping that the answer would be no. There was no job he dreaded worse than informing the Next Of Kin of a murder victim, especially the Next Of Kin if the victim was a child.

"No, I got this one, Babe." Steve replied quietly as they reached their cars, "I want you to get with Max and find out the cause of death. Get Chin to run a full background check on the parents and the people they were with at the time of the disappearance. Have Kono get with HPD and door knock the neighbors again, hopefully one of them will remember seeing something that they didn't think was important when HPD first questioned them."

Danny nodded as he reached the Camaro before he looked back at his partner, "Steve." He waited a moment until his partner looked across at him before he said softly, "Thanks."

OoOoOoOoO

The young woman grabbed her husband's hand; her eyes open wide in anguish and grief as she shook her head in desperate denial as she cried, "No! Oh God No! He can't be! He's only three years old! You have to be mistaken! It has to be someone else's little boy! It can't be Huan! You _have_ to have made a mistake! PLEASE!"

"I'm sorry. The body we found matches your son's description. We can't formally identify him without your help but we are certain it is Huan." Steve said gently as he watched the young man wrap his arm protectively around his wife. He glanced around the comfortably furnished living room to give them a moment of privacy, returning his attention back to the young couple seated opposite him as he heard the young man murmur comforting words to his young wife.

"How…How was he…?" The whispered words were barely audible as the young father struggled hard to blink back his tears.

"I wish I could tell you but at the moment we really aren't sure." Steve answered honestly as he returned his attention back to the young couple on the sofa. "We will have to wait for the results from the autopsy." Jian nodded silently, his bottom lip trembling as the tears began to roll down his face as Steve continued, "I know this is hard but before I take you to identify Huan's body, I need you to tell me again everything that happened this morning before he disappeared."

The young couple nodded before Jian spoke quietly, his voice cracking as he remembered his son's reaction when he had left. Huan had been inconsolable, not wanting to be left behind. "I…I went to the beach to swim as I do every morning before I go to work at the Embassy. Huan… Huan cried when I left. He…he wanted to come with me- us ..." The young Chinese man brushed the tears from his face with his hand and took a deep shuddering breath before he continued," I…I… went to the beach with one of our friends- Gen Honung." Jian swallowed hard as he cast a quick guilty glance towards his wife before he admitted brokenheartedly. "I keep thinking I should have let him come..."

Steve waited a moment to give the distraught father a few moments to recompose himself before he turned his attention to the small petite woman huddled against her husband's side. "Can you tell me what happened after Jian left?" he asked softly, his own heart aching at having to force this couple to relive the nightmare of their only son's disappearance.

Dapping her eyes, Biya nodded, drawing a shuddering breath as she reached for her husband's hand again for comfort and reassurance as she haltingly began. "Huan was crying so hard when I bought him in. He didn't want me, he…he only wanted Jian. I…I placed him in his bed. I thought he would … would eventually settle down." She paused for a moment, her grief evident in her face as she relived the last moments she had had with her son in her mind. "But he didn't…so I closed his bedroom door and went into the study to pay some bills … I was sure he would cry himself to sleep. He was so tired." She tried to explain before she rushed on. "He must have let himself out of the room and out of the front door, he's done that before." Her husband nodded in silent confirmation as his wife continued, "I heard him crying outside a few minutes after I entered the study but before I could check on where he was, everything went silent and when I went outside he wasn't there." The tears rolled down the young woman's face as she described the terror of not being able to find her young son, "I…I looked everywhere, outside, inside, under the beds and behind the doors…anywhere where he could hide but he wasn't here. I thought …hoped… that he may have followed his Papa so I hurried down to the beach but Huan wasn't there."

"When I heard my son was missing…I told Biya to ring the police while Gen and I drove around the streets for hours just looking for him but he was gone…" Jian hurriedly explained before looking Steve directly in the eyes and asking fearfully. "You don't think someone took Huan and killed him just because he was my son?"

It was a question that did not surprise Steve and a question he had not already been asked. The Governor had personally ordered Five 0 to investigate the small boy's disappearance after voicing fears that it might be politically motivated. Tensions had been high between the U.S and Chinese Governments after several angry Chinese dissidents had protested openly on the streets of Honolulu over the treatment of some of their countrymen by their own government. One of the dissidents had taken his protest to extreme and had set himself on fire in protest in front of the Chinese embassy. But it was also a motive that Steve knew he could not yet ignore, especially given the fact that the young grieving man sitting in front of him was the assistant to the visiting Chinese Consulate General whose normal residency was California.

"We are not sure yet." He answered truthfully as he leaned forward and asked, "Have either of you received any kind of threat lately. Or maybe argued with someone?"

Swallowing hard, Jian cast a quick nervous glance at his wife before he turned back to Steve and shook his head vigorously. "No, nothing."

Slowly rising to his feet, Steve looked down at the young couple as he regrettably announced. "I'm sorry to have to ask you both to do this, but we need you to come to the morgue and identify your son."

Nodding silently, Jian reluctantly rose to his feet before he turned and gently helped his distraught wife to hers and followed McGarrett out of the house.

OoOoOoOoO

AN - Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, review, fav or place this story on their alerts. You guys are awesome. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Glancing back at the security gate that shut automatically behind her, Kono sighed as she began to walk towards the next house. So far, none of the neighbors had noticed anyone or anything out of the ordinary this morning, or during the last few days. No one had noticed any unusual cars or individuals had been seen hanging around nor had they noticed the toddler wandering by himself.

"Kono." She turned around as Duke Lukela hurried across the road to where she was waiting. "I think we may have something." He told her as he reached her. "The old lady who lives across the road is good friends with Mrs. Zhang. Although she did not see Huan this morning or even know about his disappearance, she did tell me that over the last few weeks she did notice that Mrs. Zhang has been acting a little strange lately. Like she was nervous, always looking over her shoulder. I thought you might like to have a talk with her."

"Thanks Duke." Kono smiled as she followed the HPD Sergeant to the house where an elderly lady stood waiting for them on a large and airy lanai.

"Mrs. Burton, this is Officer Kalakaua, Five 0." Duke said as he introduced Kono, "She would like you to tell her more about what you told me you noticed about Mrs. Zhang's behavior over the last few weeks."

"Yes, of course, please come in. And please call me Harriet, Mrs. Burton just sounds so stuffy and formal. " The woman invited as she turned and led Kono slowly through the house as she continued to talk, "The officer just told me that young Huan wandered away this morning and now he's been found dead? I can't believe it! I just don't understand why Biya didn't tell me he was missing? I would have helped search for him. He's such a sweet little boy! How did he die, if you don't mind me asking? The officer wouldn't tell me when I asked him."

"We are still investigating his cause of death." Kono told the older woman gently as she followed the woman into the living room.

"Poor Biya! I just knew something was wrong when I saw all the cars coming and going from her house today. But I didn't want to be rude and go over and ask what was going on. " Harriet said softly as she eased herself gingerly onto the large sofa, before tapping the seat beside her in a silent request that Kono join her. She waited until Kono sat down before she continued. "As I told the policeman, Biya has been acting kind of strange lately. So I didn't want to intrude."

"A little strange. How?"

Harriet's eyes lit up in excitement as she leaned a little closer to Kono and placed her hand on Kono's arm to ensure she had Kono's undivided attention as she lowered her voice, "Well my dear, the last few weeks Biya has stopped Huan from playing outside."

"Stopped him playing outside?"

"He used to play outside all the time. I would see him running around, playing with his puppy. Biya would be outside with him of course but he was allowed to play freely. Then a couple of weeks ago, she suddenly stopped letting him play outside. I asked her why but all she said was she preferred to keep him inside where she could keep a better eye on him." Harriet paused a moment, before she shifted uncomfortably in her chair and lifted her hand nervously to brush a non-existent strand of hair from her face, before she added more softly, "And then there was the strange incident with Biya at the International markets just yesterday..."

"Strange incident?" Kono prodded gently.

The old lady nodded her head, "Biya and I go together to the International Markets every Thursday," she began to explain, "You see, it's what we like to call our girls' day out. We have gone every Thursday for the last two years, since we became neighbors. Huan absolutely loves…" She swallowed hard and wiped away a tear that began to trickle down the side of her face as she corrected herself, "Huan used to love going there. Yesterday Biya did not really want to go. I noticed the last few Thursdays she seemed less and less enthusiastic but I thought maybe she was getting tired of hanging out with an old lady like me. After all she is young and I … well … Well I am not as young as I used to be. But Huan was so excited to get out of the house she decided to come… "

"Are you okay?" Kono asked gently when the older woman fell quiet.

Twisting the tissue she held in her hands, Harriet forced a weak smile and nodded. "We had been shopping for about an hour when I noticed that Biya seemed to be nervous, scared, she kept looking behind us. Like she thought we were being followed or something. Then she suddenly said that we needed to leave. I asked her what was wrong but she wouldn't tell me. She just said that she needed to go home and she was so upset, that I thought it best to do as she asked, so we came home."

"Did you notice anyone who might have been following you?" Kono frowned.

Harriet shook her head, "No, no one."

"Did Biya say anything else after you left the marketplace?"

"She was upset, and didn't want to talk. All she wanted to do was get home and get inside. I knew something was wrong. I should have insisted that she told someone what had happened but I decided it was none of my business." Looking across at Kono, the old lady's eyes grew wide as she asked, "Was that how Huan was killed? Was he killed by whoever Biya thought was following us yesterday?"

"We are not sure at the moment." Kono answered truthfully. "Is there anything else you may have noticed in the last few weeks? Stranger cars parked on the street? Maybe someone hanging around?"

"No, no one." Harriet shook her head. "I'm sorry that I can't be any more help. Oh my, poor Huan, he was just a baby!"

Rising to her feet, Kono waved at the elderly lady not to get up as she said, "Thank you, you have been a great help. If you remember anything else…"

"I will call you immediately, my dear."

"Mahalo." Kono smiled before she turned and left.

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AN I just want to say a big 'Thank You' to everyone who has left a review, faved or alerted this story. I'm sorry that I have not updated over the last two days but unfortunately I managed to pick up a nasty tummy bug that just wanted to hang around.


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